Vehicle body



L. GORLENKO Nov. 8, 1938.

VEHICLE BODY Filed Jan. 28, 1958 s Shets-Sheet 1 lazuli orlmio Nov. 8, 1938. VLLGORLENKO' ,1

v VEHICLE BODY Filed Jan. 28, 195 5 shets sneex 2 R} R 1 Q I I? \L {g Nov. 8, 1933.

L. GORLENKO VEHICLE BODY Filed Jan. 28, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 8, 1938 V a I v i Q 2,138,189 VEHICLE BODY I Louis Gorlenko, Arlingtomya. Application January as, .1933, Serlal'No. 181,539 7: h g r sowmsg crzo-zi g This invention relates to vehicles of the van Figure 3 is a transverse cross-section of the. van type and more particularly to vehicles comprison the line 3-4 of Fig. 2; and ing a wheeled chassis adapted to be transported t Figure 4 is a longitudinal, cross-section of the from place to place, either under its own power yvan showing theposition of the parts in partially I". i or as a trailer, and an enclosed housing structure collapsed position. Y mounted on the chassis which iscapable of be- 1 Referring to the drawings in Figs. 1 and 2 is 1 ing expanded when the vehicle has reached its illustrated a van the housing of which isexpan- 1 destination to-permit the exhibition of moving sible to provide a darkened enclosure for the ex- I NITED STATES. PATENT i pictures, stereoptlcon slides and thelike before 1 hibition of talking motion pictures. One purpose ll audlences, 1 I for which the van may beused is as a small port- 10 An important object of my inventionis to .proable theatre capable 01 being moved about among vide a vehicle of the above character in which localities having large foreign-born populations the housing is composed of a number of tele-q or the presentation of talking pictures in the scopically arranged sections. capable of being nativeianguages of the people composing such ll 'slidlongitudinally and laterally of the'chassis so' populations. a .1 i as to increase the length and breadth of the Another purpose for the van may be to permit housing. In its preferred form, the invention giving still or moving picture exhibitions especontemplates the provision of means by which the cially, suited to the entertainment and education I housing sections may be readily slid into and out of young school children. =Also such a van might of their expanded positions; be employed by commercialorganizations for ad- 2 The invention has as a further object to provertising their goods and services through the vide a' vehicle of the above character in which medium of moving pictures, and especially those the seats provided for the accommodation of the organizations 'whose goods or services offer their audience are attached to the floors of. the several principal sales appeal'to special classes of persons 5 housing sections and are so. constructed and ar. to be found in difierent communities. 26 ranged as tobe folded'against the floors and con- The van comprisesa chassis I mounted upon cealed between the overlying floors of the tele wheels 2 and havinga cab} adjacent its forward v scoped sections when thehousing is fully 001- end for sheltering the operator of the vehicle. A i lapsed'and prepared formoving to a new locality. hood .4 at the front of the chassis encloses the 30 Another object of my invention is to provide a engine which furnishes the motive power for the 30 vehicle of the above character inwhichthe clearvehicle. I i a ance between the sliding sections of the housing .Supported upon ties 5 extending across the are effectively sealed against the elements and chassis is a-collapsible housing 6. This housing, theinflltration of light so asto provide a weaths which is adapted to be collapsed in the manner er.-tight completely. darkened enclosure suitable indicatedin the cross-sectional view of Fig. 4, is; 35 for theprojection of pictures'upon a screen and composedof four telescopic sections 1, 8; 9 and 1 to facilitate heating the enclosure when outside l0, each constitutinga quarter corner portion of temperature conditions make this necessary. the .housing when the latter is fully expanded. Still another. object of the invention is to pro- Section 1 comprises a floor or bottom la, a top lb, 40 vide a vehicle of. the above character including a a side wall la and an end wall 1d, the latter being 40 projection curtain orscreen and so constructed located towards the front of the van immediately and arranged that the projection machine may behind the cab 3. This section] is stationarily be positioned either in front of or to the rear of supported upon the cross tiesan'd since it prothe screen; i i vides the section into-which the remainder of the 4 Other objects and-advantages will be apparent sections telescope it necessarily is of somewhat from the following detailed description of a pregreaterheight than those sections. v

ferred embodiment of the invention, reference The section likewise comprises a bottom, top. being had to the annexed drawings, in which:v side wall and end wall and is adapted to nest Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a van snugly within the stationarysection 1 when colgghaving a housing composed "of a-number of telelapsed but is capable of being slid laterally of scopic sections, the housing beingshown in ,exthe chassis to the position indicated in Fig. 2. panded position and serving to provide a dark- Fastenedto the underside of. the floor of section b ened enclosure for the exhibition of moving pic Band extending in thedirection'of sliding movetures; 1 a v a a -mentotthe sectionisa-pair'of runners ll'adapt- .55 Figure 2 is aplan view ofthe van of Fig. 1; I ed to telescope withina pair of sleeves i2 seof sliding movement of the section. The runners cured to the bottom of stationary section 1, the arrangement being such that the runners support the load of section 8 and guide it in its sliding movement. Struts l8 hingedto the bottom of this section at its outer end are adapted to be dropped to upright position when the section is fully expanded for the purpose of supporting the extended side of the housing.

Section 9; similarly composed of a bottom, top, side wall and end wall, is arranged to nest within section 8 when the housing is collapsed, as indi cated in Fig. 4, but is capable of being slid endwise of the chassis into theposition shown in Fig. 2. A pair of runners i4, corresponding to the runners I 2 of section 8, are connected to the bottom of section 9 and extend in the direction I 4 telescope within sleeves 15 secured to the bottom of stationary section I to support the section and'guide it in its sliding movement. Struts i6 hinged to the bottom of section 9 may be swung to vertical position, in a manner corresponding to the struts l8, to support the longitudinally extended end of the housing.

Carried within and adapted to be slid laterally outwardly from section} 9 issection l9 comprising a bottom, top, sidewall and end wall. Section III is adapted to be moved lengthwise of the chassis as a unit with section 9 and subsequently slid outwardly to constitute a rear section of the expanded housing complemental to II, fastened to .the

ing movement of the section, telescopes within a companion pair of sleeves I 8 secured to the bottom of section 9, as indicated in Fig.4. struts l9 upon the'bottom of section It may be lowered to afford support for this section. when fully expanded.

The top, side walls and end walls of the various sections are arranged in comparatively snug sliding engagement with theircompanion sections, and felt packing strips, as indicated at 45 in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, are provided to seal the necessarily slight amount of clearance between the sections. The floors of the sections however are supported by their runners in spaced relationas shown in these figures to provide small compartments between the floors when the housing is collapsed. Arranged in rows facing toward the forward end of-the vehicle are chairs 29 each comprising a front frame 29, a back frame housing so as to be clearly visible to the audi- :behind the screen into ence occupying'the chairs within the housing during moving picture exhibitions. The end wall 'of section I is provided-with a window 24 opening from the housing ata location immediately the cab 8 of the vehicle.

This window allows pictures tobe projected upon the screen from its rear side by means of a projecting machine 25 adapted to be set up upon section 9. A

the hood 4 of the vehicle. An amplifier 28 furnishing the sound accompaniment for the pictures is located in the space behind the screen. Curtains 21 are suitably suspended from the cab to provide a darkened enclosure for the projecting machine operator as well as to shelter the operator and the apparatus from the weather.

As will be apparent from the foregoing description, when the vehicle is moving from one locality to another the housing will be collapsed with the sections occupying their nested positions as indicated in Fig. 4. This figure however shows sections 9 and I8 incompletely nested within section 8, and when fully collapsed the rear end of section 9 will substantially coincide with the rear end of stationary section 1. The space provided by the vehicle will then correspond approximately to the interior of the smallest section H), which space may be used for the storage of the paraphernalia and apparatus required in well as to provide sleeping quarters for the operator of the vehicle. To facilitate expanding the sections of the housing'upon reaching the site selected for a performance there is provided the mechanism indicated schematically in Fig. 2. .A shaft 28 mounted upon and extending crosswise of the chassis approximately midway of the stationary housing I is provided vupon one companion bevel gear 8| on one end of a stub shaft 32 suitably journaled upon the chassis and extending parallel to and adjacent a side'of the chassis. A pinion 33 keyed to the stub shaft engages a rack 34 fixed upon the bottom of section 8. Thus by turning the crank 29 the pinion 93 is rotated to impart movement to the rack to slide the section inwardly or outwardly of the stationary section 1.

a hand crank. Midway of its length this shaft Through the operation of these two hand' cranks the housing may be completely expanded. Firstthe crank 96 is operated to slide the section 9 longitudinally of the chassis, this section carrying with it section l0 which is nested therein. Sections 8 and I 0 of a pair of rails 99 extending longitudinally of the vehicle throughout the full length of section The bottoms, tops, sidewalls and end walls of the various sections, except for. the window 24 in section I and the door 2| in section 9, are desirably without openings and the felt packing strips 45 seal the clearances between the companion parts of the housings where they are in However, when the houswill occur between certain sections, as for example between the top and bottom of section 8 and the top and bottom of section 9. In order are coupled together by means to automatically close these I gaps when the sections are moved to their exthere are provided flaps 42 0! heavy waterprooied tions 1 and 8 and sections 9 and I0.

I theatre comprising a lapsible housing mounted upon said chassis, said the sections lapsible housing mounted upon housing including a stationary section and at The invention may be cific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiment is therefore to be considered as illustrative and. not restrictive, and all changes which come equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein. I claim: 1

1. A road vehicle adapted to serve as a portable wheeled chassis and a colhousing including a stationary section and at least three movable sections designed to be telescoped within the stationary section, said sections each having a top, bottom and side wall and together adapted when expanded toform components of aclosed housing, and means upon the movable sections slidable within guides upon companion sections for independently supporting said movable sections for movement longitudinally and laterally of said chassis with their bottoms in relative spaced relation.

2. A road vehicle adapted to serve as aaportable theatre comprising a wheeled chassis and a collapsible housing mounted upon said chassis, said housing including a stationary section and at least three movable sections designed to be telescoped within the stationary section, said sections each having a top, gether adapted when expanded to form components of a closed housing, means upon the movable sections slidable within guides upon companion sections for independently supporting toms in relative spaced relation to provide compartments therebetween and seats fastened to' said seats being so constructed and to be ,folded against the bottoms oi and to occupy the compartments when the sections are telescoped within each other.

3. A road vehicle adapted to serve as a portable theatre comprising a wheeled chassis and a colsaid chassis, said the sections arranged as arcane 43 which which would otherembodied in other spewithin the meaning and range of ponents of a .escoped within the stationary bottom and side wall and to-- arranged as least three be telescoped within the stationary section, said sections each havinga top, bottom and side wall and togetheradapted when expanded to form components of a closed housing, runners upon the movable sections slidable within guides upon companion sections for independently supporting said movable sections for movement longitudinally and laterally of said chassis with their bottoms in relative spaced relation to provide compartments therebetween, seats iastened to the sections said seats being so constructed and arranged as to be folded against the bottoms of the sections and to occupy the compartments when the sections are telescoped within each other and means automatically operable for closing the clearance space between certain of the sections when the sections are expanded.

4. A road vehicle adapted to serve as a portable theatre comprising a wheeled chassis and a collapsible housing mounted upon said chassis, said housing including a stationary section and at least three movable sections designed to be telescoped within the stationarysection, said sections each having a top, gether adapted when expanded to form comclosed housing, an upright projection screen arranged adjacent the endoi one of the sections and a window provided in a wall of said last-mentioned section adjacent and to the bottom and side wall and 'tomovable housing sections designed to n rear of the screen through which pictures may i from exteriorly of theatre comprising'a'wheeled chassis and a collapsible housing mounted upon said housing, including a stationary section and at least three movable sections designed to be teltions each having a top, bottom and side wall and together adapted when expanded to form" components of a closed housing, runners upon the movable sections slidable within the guides upon companion sections for porting saidmovable sections for movement longitudinally and laterally ofsaid chassis with their bottoms in relative spaced relation to provide compartments therebetween, seats fastened "to the sections said seats being so constructed and to be folded against the bottoms of the sections and occupy the compartments when the sections are telescoped within each other, an upright projectionscreen arranged adjacent the end of one of the sections and a window'provided of the screen through which be projected upon the screen from the housing.

pictures may exteriorly of LOUIS GORLENKOx section, said secindependently sup- 

